1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to apparatus for sanitary collection of animal waste, and relates in particular to apparatus for receiving and disposing of animal feces.
2. Description of Prior Art
The prior art discloses numerous devices for receiving and collecting pet animal fecal matter. These devices have been frequently introduced in response to ordinances imposed by municipal governments which require that pet owners be responsible for unsanitary wastes left by pets on city streets. While many of these devices are suitable for receiving or collecting animal excrement, a problem commonly encountered with such devices is that they are either complex and expensive to fabricate, or they force the pet owner to come into uncomfortably close proximity to the waste containment means in order to dispose of the waste. The prior art does not disclose a device which is simultaneously simple and inexpensive to fabricate, and allows the pet owner to remain a comfortable distance from the animal's excrement.
For example, Skermetta, U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,269, discloses a complex and cumbersome device which allows remote discard of the waste. Campbell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,970, merely discloses remote partial sealing of a waste containment bag without any means for remote discard. Remote disposal is disclosed in Lachance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,953, but the device there contains a slidable coiled spring wrapped around the handle which is heavy and expensive to fabricate; moreover, the containment bag tends to migrate off the end of the support arm during transport.